The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1887-02-06
III WILLIAM ARCHER.

NJ WILLIAM ARCHER.
We were sitting, Sir Marmadukc and |, nt
the Cafe lie la Rcgcncc, one sultry evening In
early summer. We had each md.dgvdn and n
cigar Sir Marmaduke was reading the Time,
while looked lazily through veil of smoke at
the stars and the passers-by. In the white front
of the Theatre Francais every window blazcd
with light The gas lamps of the Avenue de
rOpcra shone like flakes of gold In contrast
will! the misty palor of electricity through
which, at the cni of the vista, the facade of the
opera house could he dimly disccrncd The
fountain of the Place du Theatre Francais rt-
Iected in shifting CLEANS the thousand lights
around In front of the great theatre the red
lamps of the orange stalls, shining on the pyra-
mi,ls of fruit, heightened harmoniously the pale
yellow of the prevailing light The monoto
nously sirident cries Of the orange men and pro
gramme sellers, together with the tinklc Of the
lcorce-water- vendors bell mingled in my
eirs with the dun clap-clap of the cab-horscs
hoofs upon the asphalt All sorts and conditions
of men and women filed past on the broad pave
mcnt; and watching them, amused myself by
flncifully recognizing in the more noticeable
figures this or that parsonage of Dumas ills, ol
Daudet, or Iola-a Monsieur Alphonsc ora Due
lie Septmonts;a Risler dine, n Delobelle, or Il
Dcschellettes; Sidonle or SaphO; Gervaise
lautier, Xcphyrin, or a Satin.
But there We're other types In the shifting
scene besides those of the French realists
Every now and then there would pass person
age who had evidently walked straight from
the pages of Mr.. liowells or Mr.. James
and the characters of Mr.. Du Mahrler "a realist
too after his kind) brought with them airs
from Kensington and blasts from Bayswater
Here, for instance, was an unmistakable Eng
lislman crossing toward us from the Theatre
Francais, whence issued two streams Of mel
eager for n breath of air between the acts. TIL,
Englshman was of tallish figure, mi,ldlc-aged
correct, commonplace. His short, brown wills
kers Were touched with gray; his upper lip AM
chin were shaved; his mouth was firm, his nos,
thin and well cut his eyes small and unremark
able. His eyebrows were the only striking fea
ture of his facc-long, b,shy and ovcrlanging
like those which Darwin developed, 1t is said
by continual concentration over his microscope
On the whole, took him fora barrister IN goot
practice or II Home Office man; and the latte
hypothesis, as afierward found, was correct
lie walked up TO the Cafe de la Rcgence an,
looked about for seat In the open space il
front. To get at the only unoccnpied table III
had to pass Sir Marnadukc, whose outspreat
Times was blocking the way. Sir Marnaduk
looked up absently at the intruder, then spranl
from his seat, almost knocking over his water
carafe In his excitement, and seized the aston
ishcd Englishman by the hand
"Philipsn' he cried, ''where have you droppc,
fromy How glad am to see yOu!'
"Ah, MiddletOn!' said the other cordially; 50
was thinking of you the other day as | passc,
by Strcsa, on my way over the Simplon."
"We haven't met since that day on Maggiore-
how many years ago 2" said Sir 'Marnladukc.
Eight or nine, put in Mr.. Philips, who ha'
meanwhile given the waiter his order.
mo; eleven" replied Sir Mnrnadukc, after
little thought.
81 needn't ask whether You took my advice,
said Philips, looking ut him; ''your hair
scarcely grizzled"
This cn,gmatic remark excited my curiosity
Could this friend Of Sir Marmaduke's be al
agent of the hyacinthine Mrs. Allen, or
traveller in 'Balm of Columbiay'
"ll hadn't taken your advice, my dear fel
low," said Sir Marmaduke, 81 shouldn't b
here at this moment"
.You'd be settled In India ?" said the othcl
with curious smile.
"ProbabIy," replied Sir Marmaduke, reflect
ing his friends smie "settled for good"
He now introduced me to Mr.. Philips, and W
nodded to each other with the studied frigidit
of true-born Britons.
''And now tell me-" said Sir Mnrmaduk
with interest, "what became of you after W
parted that morningS You vanished into thi
mir. Did you find your hppogriiI awaiting yo
when you landed at Pallanzas You mus
know" he added, turning to me, that Philip
isa neeromaneerr, Caglostro. BY Joye!"
81 didn't find hippogrif," said Philip,
'but telegram from the Home Office. too
the first steamer for Aroma, and was In Londo
two days later"
"Do you stu practice the black art ~ aske
Sir Marmaduke.
The black and white art, you mean," sal
Bat now must be OFF, don't want To mi,
the last act of 'Ruy Bias and besides, Pm wit
some people"
"But look here" said Sir Marmaduke, .yo
mustn't go and perform:your, great yansliin
trick again, as you did the other time Nv
something to return you, you know-with man
thanks.n
''Oh, that ~ said the other. ''Well, shomldn
mind having II again, especially as don't SUI
pose II has any great sentimental value for yoi
Where are you stopping ~
"Mcurice's.h
"And at the Continental. Well, when l.,
seen my people home, III stroll along If 20
like"
"Do," said Sir Marmadukc; ''you'll find us
the smoking-room.
'All right" was the reply; expect me abol
twelve And, after paying for his black coffe
Mr.. Piilips hurried back to the theatre
"Who's your mysterious fricnd?n ! askc
sir Marmadnke; land what's all this stun abol
the black art ~
mo stun at ALL" said Sir Marmadukc, vii
convictions that's the most wonderful fellow
ever knew But for him, my boy, should no
have been married and done for.n
"Did he cut You out ~ asked. 'ile is
wonderful fellow -
"obyious and gratutous imperiinence ~ r.
piled the dear old boy, unruilel
"Scusi, mH ! said. "Tell me all about 1
lie doesn't look like magician"
"By his works you shall know him" my fric
answered; ''the proof of the magician is IN h
magic, and I'm living monument To his occu
powers. Have another weedy'
tnI "a ..,I tI.nt
over, sir MaTmadukc began:
before settled In Venice, You know, | ha
Nilla Tor some time ON the Lago Maggiore
siresa. II was pretty little chalet of plac
agood bit above the level of the lake. with
charming outlook over the Borromean Island
IL suited me down to the ground, and | migl
have stopped there To this day but for Il
events am about 10 narrate,' as the stor
tcllers say.
'Anoiher villa much larger than mine, stoo
on the slope lust above 1t, a narrow line sep
rating the two gardens. II had long been uno
cupied, much to my satisfaction, for did N
are 10 DC overlooked, Al last one mornin
my Italian valet brought me the news that
had been taken, and taken by a lady N
Mnrohesa Trabelli, he said was her name b
he had been unable 10 find out ANYTHING mo
about her, except that she was evidently ric
The furnishings, which soon began to arrive
cart-load upon cart-load, confirmed the latt
Intelligence My man brought me glowing +
ports OF the oriental splendor with which Il
place was being bcdizenel. The furnitu
came, not from Milan, but from Paris, and
was Partisan decorator who was In charge
"A lew weeks suiliced To transform the hO,l
from q barrack Ia palace and the garden fro
wilderness to thin pleasaunce. Then eau
the iauy herself, accompanied by only two 80
wants, maid aud "a stewards the other dome
ann la al..l.l Al